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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. current — electric
  4. ground — a position
  5. current — happening now
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — ground
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — of water
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wind — moving air
  17. land — to come down
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. land — a country
  24. chip — to eat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com